A Gloucester care home has raised more than £14,000 for charity by hosting its own Strictly Come Dancing-style event.

Staff at the McCarthy Stone Retirement Living development plus at Llanthony Place on St Ann Way put on their dancing shoes to raise money for the McCarthy Stone Foundation.

The money raised will be used to reduce the isolation and loneliness of elderly people.

“The happiness and wellbeing of older people is at the heart of everything we do,” said Fiona Docherty, chief executive of the McCarthy Stone Foundation.

“Therefore, we are more than delighted, in partnership with Llanthony Secunda Priory, DanceStars Gloucester and major sponsors Badminton Developments, to have raised over £14,000 for the McCarthy Stone Foundation,” Ms Docherty continued.

The foundation says it supports local, volunteer-led charitable causes that bring connection, engagement and purpose to older adults.

The ‘Strictly Come Llanthony’ event, which follows the recent return to screens of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing for its 22nd series, saw seven members of staff – from various McCarthy Stone developments – team up with a professional dancer to undergo eight weeks of intensive training before fighting. on the dance floor for the winner’s trophy.

Each participant entered the “Beginner to Winner Challenge” without any professional dance experience.

The idea came from Llanthony Place property director Mathew Daniels, who co-hosted the evening and arranged sponsorship from local businesses including Symphony Hearing, MPK Vehicle Repair and Alouna Recruitment Group.

Llanthony Place trustee Marie Bird and her partner James Hall took first place in both the group and solo stages.

Llanthony Place duty manager Lee Mainza and Lydia Hall took second place with their salsa, closely followed by Emily Cook, Nicole Mason and Megan Thompkins who were tied for third.

Friends and family turned up to show their support and staff managed to exceed their initial fundraising target of £2,000, with over £5,750 raised per week leading up to the event.

McCarthy Stone then matched the sum, bringing the total to £14,300.